Ink-well



(No Model.)

W. E. LEWIS. INK WELL.

No. 484,808. Patented Oct. 25,1892.

Ina/6222 0)" m; NORRIS PETER! ca, PHorO-umo., WASHINGTON, n. 1:.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

IVILLIAM E. LEWIS, OF OORRY, PENNSYLVANIA.

INK-WELL.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 484,803, dated October25, 1892.

Application filed January 23, 1892. Serial No. 419,036- (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM E. LEWIS, a citizen of the United States,residing at Corry, in the county of Erie and State of Pennsylvania, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Ink-Wells; and I dodeclare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of theinvention,'such as will enable others skilled in the art to which itappertains to make and use the same.

This invention has relation to an improvementin ink wells or holders;and, among other things, it has for its object to provide a chamber ator adjacent the mouth or dipping-aperture, whereby waste and overflow ofthe ink caused by its expansion due to atmospheric changes is obviated.

A further object of the invention is to provide an air-tight cap havinga dipping hole or aperture and in connection therewith a buoyantstopper.

Other objects and advantages will appear from the following descriptionand claims when taken in connection with the annexed drawings, in whichFigure 1 is a perspective View of a bottle embodying my improvements;and Fig. 2 is a longitudinal vertical sectional View of the same,showing the buoyant stopper in its normal position.

Before describing the details of construction I would have it understoodthat whileI have here illustrated an ink well or bottle of the preferredconstruction,yet I do not wish to limit myself to the employment of anymaterial, nor to the shape or configuration of the well or holder, as Iam aware that the holder may be formed in various styles and shapeswithout departing from the spirit of my invention.

Referring by letter to said drawings, A indicates a bottle or ink-well,preferably formed of glass. This well has a large reservoir a and asmall communicating reservoir 1). The mouth of the small reservoir b hasan external screw-thread turned thereon or formed therein for a purposewhich will be presently explained. This small reservoir is providedadjacent to its threaded mouth and around its front and sides with achamber B.

0 indicates a cap for the small reservoir b. This cap has its topconverging conically, as shown at d, and has a small opening e for theinsertion of a pen to receive ink. This cap is furthermore provided witha marginal straight flange f, which is internally threaded to engage thethreads 0 at the mouth of the reservoir b, and the gasket D, of rubberor other suitable material, is interposed between the top of thethreaded mouth and the screwcap, so as to form an air-tight joint.

For the sake of cheapness in manufacture the expansion-chamber B isformed integral with the reservoir b and will in no manner detract fromthe beauty of the article.

E indicates a spherical stopper. This stopper, which is buoyant, may becomposed of a hollow ball of rubber or other suitable material, so thatit will normally float in the reservoir b and close the pen-opening ofthe screwcan.

In use when ink has been placed in the large reservoir a and the wellseated, the ink will feed into the small reservoir 1), and its level mayextend as high as the base of the chamber B, thus holding the buoyantstopper against the opening of the pen-aperture, as shown in Fig. 2 ofthe drawings, and thereby, together with the gasket D, keeping bothwells air-tight, and thus saving any loss in ink or deterioration whichmight result from evaporation or exposure to the atmosphere. In suchchanges of atmosphere as naturally cause the ink to expand it will befound that instead of rising to the mouth and overflowing, asheretofore, such ink will enter in the chamber B, and thereby preventany waste. It is desirable that the lower end of the pen-aperture of thescrew-cap extend partly into the chamber B.

Having described my invention, what I claim is- 1. An ink well'or holderhaving a chamber adjacent its mouth to receive the rise of ink caused byexpansion and a screw-cap for closing said mouth air-tight and having adipping-aperture, substantially as specified.

2. An ink well or holder having a chamber adjacent its mouth to receivethe rise of ink caused by expansion, and also having a screwcap forclosing the mouth air-tight and provided with a pen or dipping aperture,and a buoyant stopper arranged in the holder to close thedipping-aperture, substantially as specified.

ICO

3. The ink well or holder having-the large said pen-aperture,substantially as specified.

4. The ink well or holder having the large reservoir, the smallreservoir in communication therewith, and the;chamber in" the smallreservoir and adjacent its mouth to receive the rise of ink caused byexpansi0n,substantially as specified.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

WILLIAM E. LEWIS. Witnesses:

O. L. CovELL, G. SID. BEAV'IS.

